Earlier in the year, Vin Diesel had confirmed, via his Instagram, that ‘Fast 11’ would indeed be the final ‘Fast & Furious’ movie. I would image we’ll still be getting spin-offs after that, it’s almost certain, but the main saga will (finally) be coming to an end. Diesel is calling it the “grand finale.”
Remember when Diesel said in 2022, at the Fast X premiere in Rome, that the 11th film might not be the last? Well, he’s clearly backtracked on those comments. A lot of developments happened since that time, including poor “Fast X” box office numbers and sexual assault allegations thrown against Diesel. Maybe he’ll now go on to make more ‘Riddick’ movies.
Regardless, ‘Fast’ director Louis Leterrier has confirmed a 2026 release for ‘Fast 11’ and they’re going to start production on the film in “early 2025.”
It's filming early next year, and it's coming out in 2026, which will be exactly to the day, 25 years since the first one came out.
If you remember, Jeff Sneider, via his newsletter, was saying that Universal would be going back to basics with ‘Fast 11.’ Sneider indicated the studio was aiming to go “lean and mean” with the eleventh film in the series in an attempt to cut spending that saw the production of “Fast X” inflate to a ridiculously overindulgent $340 million budget. I don’t think, save for ‘Avatar 2,’ there was a film released this decade with a higher production budget than ‘Fast X’.
Sneider’s source added that “Fast 11” would have a budget well under $200 million with less globe-hopping and a plot that would revolve over a single heist or race.
And, how about Diesel? The actor was recently accused of sexually assaulting his assistant in 2010, but Sneider says Diesel will be back in what will likely be his character’s “last” ride. I’ve also been hearing that a new ‘Riddick‘ movie was recently greenlit and is moving forward.
“Fast X” ended on a cliffhanger. The problem with that film is that it underperformed at the box office, pulling in $714.6 million worldwide. There have been multiple attempts at cracking the script for the next film, with, at least, three writers having already been hired. The original April 4th, 2025, release date was also pushed back, and it’s now “sometime in 2026”.
One thing’s for certain, there will be big guns, big muscles, big cars etc. This eleventh chapter will also, I’m just speculating here, end with a big family barbecue where the whole cast is gathered together as the camera slowly rises to the clouds.
The ‘Smile’ franchise has a new director. David Bruckner, who made “The Night House” and the 2022 “Hellraiser” reboot, has been hired to direct “Smile 3” for Paramount.